Tex Hall says he has been cooperating with law enforcement officials in investigations into allegations he is a victim of financial fraud and violence in a case with ties to a Washington murder.

“First, protecting the privacy and ensuring the safety of my family is my highest priority,” a statement from Hall, the chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes, said.

James Henrikson, of Watford City, was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm last week after law enforcement officials searched his home looking for weapons and evidence of financial crime. While the court documents in that case do not indicate what type of financial crime was suspected, documents in a Spokane, Wash., murder case suggest Henrikson is suspected of defrauding Hall’s company, Maheshu Energy.

Timothy Suckow has been charged in the Dec. 15 murder of Doug Carlile in Spokane. Henrikson has not been charged in Carlile’s death, but the court documents in Suckow’s case allege Henrikson was the one who ordered the murder. The court documents also allege Henrikson approached a man about finding someone to kill Hall and that Henrikson and his associates were under federal investigation for defrauding Maheshu Energy.

Hall previously declined comment through Three Affiliated Tribes communications director Glenda Embry. Embry explained that Hall did not wish to say anything while some of the people involved in the alleged schemes have not been arrested or accounted for, for safety reasons. Hall released a statement on Thursday through Embry and Washington, D.C., attorney Chris Stearns.

Hall’s statement said he has been “fully and actively cooperating for several months with law enforcement professionals at the tribal, state, and federal levels.”

Hall is a member of the Tribal Business Council for Three Affiliated Tribes, but the remainder of the council sent out a statement on Wednesday distancing themselves from the case. The council’s statement said Henrikson and his associates had no relationship with the Tribal Business Council or the tribe itself.

In his statement, Hall also criticized media coverage of the case. The statement said some media coverage had implied that he had some connection or affiliation with gangs. Court documents say the man Henrikson allegedly approached about finding someone to kill Hall touted himself as a member of a prison gang. The documents do not tie Hall to gangs, gang activities or the man referred to in the documents as a possible gang member.

“In fact, one of the priorities of my Administration has been to rid the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation of gang activity,” the statement said.

Hall said in his statement that he wants to see justice in the case.

“The bottom line is that I have been cooperating to the fullest extent of my abilities with investigators to make sure that justice is swiftly and fully served in this case and that the victims’ families see the justice they deserve,” the statement said. “I have fought my entire career to keep our tribal Nation families safe, whether here at home, Watford City, or even Spokane and I will continue to fight for this as long as I can.”